Process of forming pipe.



No.. 77120560.. PATENTED DEG. 13; 1904.

GS.. BE.. ST'RAxVS' da J. N. JAGER.

AEPRATJUS EUR FORMING PIPE.

APE-Lmfmmow mum) M1149. 1904.

N0 MODEL... 16 SHEETS--BHEET ll No. 777,560. PATEVNTED DEG. 13, 1904. C. B. STRAVS & J. N. JAGBR. APPARATUS POR FORMING PIPE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.19. 1904.

16 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

No. 777.560. PATENTED DBG. 13, 1904.

G. B. STRAVS z J. N. .TAGER.

APPARATUS FOR PORMING PIPE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.19,1904.

16 SHBE'IB--SHEET 3.

-NO MODEL.

l ww

No. 777,560. PATENTED DEG. 13, 1904. G. B. STRAVS & J. N. JAGER. APPARATUS POR FRMING PIPE.

APPLIOA'I'ION FILED .TAN.19.1904.

N0 MODEL.

4 ....hxn

16 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

0. B. STRAVS a J. N. JAGER. APPARATUS FOR FORMING PIPE.

APILIUATION FILED JAN. 19. 1904.l

i No MODEL.

No. 777,560. PATBNTED DEG. 13, 1904.

- G. B. STRAVS & J. N. JAGBR.

APPARATUS POR PORMING PIPE.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 19A 1904.

A al

J N h M 4 VV Y K w Hwy/Www No. 777.560. PATPNTPD DB0. 13, 1904.

0. B. STRAVS @L J. N. JAGBR.

APPARATUS POR POPMING PIPE. APPLICATION FILED JAN.19.19U4. N0 MODEL.

No. 777.560. PATENTED DBO. 13,1904.

STRAVS @n J. N. JAGER.

APPARATUS FOR PORMING PIPE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.19. 1904.

16 SHEETS-SHEET -9.

N0 MODEL.

Www/ff?.

will! No.' 777.560. l PATENTED DEG. 13, 1904. G. B. STRAVS & J. N. JAGER.

APPARATUS FOR FRMING PIPE.

APpLIoATIol funn Ju. 19. 1904.

- @6fm/W. MAW/ffmc# rae/Harra/r/xex) m' "l n l PATENTBD DEO. 13, 1904. G. B. S'IRAVS & J. N. JAGER.

APPARATUS POR PORMING PIPE.

APPLoATIoN FILED 11111.19, 1904.

' 16 SHEETS-s111131 114 No. 777.560. A]"A'IEl\TED DEO. 13, 1904. G. B. STRAVS @z J. N. .TAGER APPARATUS FOR E'ORMING PIPE.

APPLIUMIOH FILED JAN. 1n, 1904.

N0.'7vv.560. PATBNTED DBG. 13, 1904. o. B. STRAVS L J. N. JAGBR.

APPARATUS POR FORMING PIPE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 1.6 SHBBTS-SHEBT 13.

PATENTED 10130.13, 1904.`

G. B. S'IRAVS & J. N. JAGER.

APPARATUS FOR FORMNG PIPE.

Arrmomrou FILED MN. 19. w04.

1u mmm-SHEET 14.

No. 777.560. PATBNTED DEC. 13, 19M.

C. B. STRVS L J. N. JGER.

APPARATUS POB. FORMING PIPE.

APPLICATION FILED .TAIL lJ. 1904. A

iid MOQEL. l SHEETB--MIEET i6 Wim L 1 y f mw UNITED SrATEs y Psaum December 1a, 1am.

PATENT i OFFICE.

CHARLES B. STRAVS AND JOHN NJAGR. MINNESOTA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO ANTHONY HUHN, OF MINNEAPOLIS,

MJNNESOTA.

APPARATUS FOR FOIRMING PIPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,560, dated December 13, 1904. Mummia 1904.' aan no. 139,16?. un man.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES B. S'rnnvs and JOHN N. JAGER, of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have in-V vented certain new and' useful Improvements in Apparatus for Forming Pipe, 'of which the The invention consists generally in an ap-A paratus for forming pipe in which the pipe material in a molten or liquid condition is distributed by centrifugal force upon the inner surface of a rotating mold and fed along the inner surface of said mold in a direction parallel to its axis, whereby the pipe material becomes gradually solidified While itis held against the surface of the mold by such centrifugal force, the solidified pipe being fed out of the mold and received upon a suitable support, which may be rotated either atthe same rate of Speed as the mold and the liquid or molten pipe material upon its inner surface or may be rotated at a greater or less speed Adelivering itto the forming mechanism. Fig.

` feeding it to the pipe-formingmechanism 4 is a detail showing a portion of the mechanism for controlling the movements of the pipe-support. Fig. 5 is a detail section of the mechanism for melting the pipe material and Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the upper part in, and the .pipe-support.

Fig. 3 is a side eleof the apparatus below the means for melting the Apipe material. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of theportion of the apparatus imme diately below that shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the portion of the apparatusV immediately below that shown" inf Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a vertical section of the portion of the apparatus immediately below that shown in Fig. 8, showing in section. the mold, the plunger. and valve arranged there- Fig. 10 isa verticallsection on a smaller scale of the mold and support, showing a section of pipe being formed therein. Fig. 11 is a'horizontal section onlline 11 11 ofFig. 2. Fig. 12 is a horizontal section on line 12 12 of vFig."2. Fig. 13 is a .horizontal section on line'13 13 of Fig. 2. Fig. 14 is a horizontal section on lineon line 19 19 of Fig, 9. Figs. 20, 21, .22, 23,

24, .25, and 26 are outline vertil sections of a mold and plunger, illustrating different .movements that may be given to the parts.

Figs. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33 are respectively outline plan views of the mold and plunger shownin Figs. 20 to 26 and illustrating the different mo vements that may be given to said parts. Y n

The-apparatus shown and described in this application is designed particularly for form ing pipe in continuous lengths of any suitable material, but preferably of lead, copper, iron,

or of other suitable metal or of a mixture or composition of two or more metals.

In an application lfor Letters Patent filed by us January 2, 1904, Serial No. 187,475, we

have described and claimed a process of form-` ing pipe. In the present application We have shown., described, and claimed an apparatus` which may be used for carrying out our pr0cess described and claimed in the application above referred to. y

In the present application we lnwe shown and described an apparatus comprising gen.

, distributed and the pipe is formed and from grally with avsuitable beveled gear 12. The y 2, between it and the lining 5 of the casing,

which mold the pipe is fed as it is formed; fourth, means for distributing the pipe material upon the inner surface of the mold. regulating the supply thereto, and polishing the interior surface of the formed pipe; fifth, a support onwhich the end of the formed pipe is received andV by which it is held as the pipe is fed out of the mold; sixth,.means for rotating atahigh speed the mold andthe pipe-material distributer. wherebythe pipe material is vdistributedand'held by centrifugal force upon l the interior surface of the mold; seventh,means for operating the pipe-support; eighth, means for keeping the pipe material in a molten condition from the time it leaves the melting ap-` paratus until it is distributed upon the inner surface of the'mold, and, ninth, means for lcooling the-portion of the mold along which the pipe material passes after the pipe has ,been formed and while it is becoming solidified.

We will describe the different portions of the apparatus in detail, referring incidentally to other details.

llfeams for reducing the pipe material to molten czmdz'tm.-AThe means for reducing the pipe material to molten condition is shown in Figs. 1,12, 3, vand 5. This means consists Y-of a suitable melting-pot 2, arranged within a casing 3 and supported by suitable legs 4. The casing is preferably provided with a fireclay lining 5,V and the legs:4 of the pot are preferably secured to the bottom ef the casing by suitable screws 6. The pot is preferablyprovided with a central discharge-pipe 7,

extending through-.the bottomof the casing. A tube 8 isf-preferably arrangedabove the discharge-'opening of the pot, suitable openings beingprovided in this tube, at the lower end thereof, through which the material may pass into the discharge-pipe 7. A valve 9 is arranged in the tube-8, and this Valve has a stem 10., provided with'a screw-thread and engaged' a nut 11, which is formedl intew'a'llof th melting-pot is provided with a series of openings 13 and also with a dischargeopening 14, communicating with a flue or pipe 15. Thevflue l5 extends to a suitable chimney or smoke iue. A suitable burner 16 is arranged within the casing 3 below the lmelting-pot 2, and the flames and 'gases from this burner pass around the melting-pot 1 and through theopenings 13 to the interior erably rounded ol, and a sharp edge is left at the upper end of the discharge-opening, so that-when the valve is closed this edge cuts through the material and prevents an accumulation thereof under the valve. The bottom ofthe casing is formed integrally with a suit- -able bracket 19, which is bolted or otherwise suitably secured to a vertical frame 1, which forms the main frame of the machine'. When the pipe is to be formed of metal, the pieces of pipe material are placed in the trough 17, resting upon the screen 18. yThis material is melted by the heat from the burner 16 and iiows through the screen 18 into the pot 2,l

where it is kept in a molten condition bythe iame from the burner passing under, around, and through the pot. We do not, however, confine ourselves to the use of this specific device fr bringing the pipe material Vinto molten condition, as any other suitable apparatus may beused for this purpose.y We Bruay, if preferred, use a suitable blast-furnace ,for reducing the material to molten condition, providing means for conducting the molten material from such furnace to the means for distributing the material upon the inner surface of themold.

A11i/[emes for conductingtkep ipe material to the materz'aldistributing meeuw-The bracket 19 also forms a support for a hopper 20, ar. ranged below and adapted to receive the molten material from the discharge-pipe 7. The side walls ofthis hopper are preferably pro- 'vided withopenings that are covered by the 4 IOC hopper are preferably made of a suitable casting secured upon the bottom by suitable boltsA 24, and a cover25 is formed integrally with said side walls. The mica sheets 21 are A'secured in position by rings 28 and screws 27. The discharge-pipe 7 extends through the top of the hopper 25, and the material from the meltingpot is discharged through the pipe 7 into the hopper. The bottom of the hopper rests upon the bracket 19, and a tubular conductor 29 is screwed into the Abottom of the hopper and extends downward nearly to the mold hereinafter described. We prefer to arrange the end 'of the bracket 19 with a tubular opening, through which` the conductor ,29 extends and within which is a sleeve 30, extending upward and having its upper end projecting into a recess in the bottom of the hopper. (See Fig. 6.) This sleeve is larger than the conductor 29, so that an annular space 'is provided between the inner surface of said sleeve and the'outer surface 'of the annular conductor 29. A disk 31 IIO is preferably7 arranged upon the outer su rface` of the conductor 29 below the bracket 19, and

.the sleeve 30 preferably projects below said bracket, vand said disk 31 fits into the lower end of said sleeve. Suitable heating-coils 32, hereinafter more particularly described, surround `the conductor 29,V extending nearly its entire length,'and outside of said heating-coils is an asbestos or other suitable non-conducting covering33. As above stated, the stem of the valve 9, which controls the discharge ofmaterial from the melting-pot to the conductor29, is screwQthreaded and may be raised and lowered by turning the threaded nutll and gear 12.V The nut-11 is made in the form of a sleeve,.and it is arranged between two bearings 34 and 35 upon a bracket 36, which extends upward past the casing 3 and then horizontally over the top of said casing, being secured .by suitable means upon the bracket 19. The stem 10 of the valve 9 is held by the bearings 34 and 35, and the nut or sleeve 11 is arranged between said bearings, so that by turning said sleeve the valve 9. is raised or lowered. For the purpose of rotating said sleeve we provide a horizontal shaft 37, having at one end a beveled pinion 38, engaging the pinion 12, and at its other end Aa pinion 39, engaging a pinion 4Q upon a vertical 4shaft 41. Thevsha'fts 37 and 41 are supported in bearings upon the bracket 36,.and

' theshaft 41 at its lower end is provided with a pinion 42, that meshes with a similar pinion 43 upon a short shaft 44, mounted in abearing 45 and provided with a hand-wheel 46. (See Figs. 11, 12, and 14.)` By turning ,the handwheel 46 the valve 9 may be opened or closed, and thereby the discharge of material from the melting-pot to the conductor 29 may be controlled. i

Tite 'mold-The mold which we preferto employ'for the formation of the pipe is shown in vertical section in Figs. 2, `9and 10 and in horizontal section in Figs. 14, 17, 18, and

,19. It is preferably circular in cross-section,

though not necessarily so. The mold proper ris designated in the drawings by the reference-gure 47, and above it, and preferably formed integrally therewith, is a distributingchamber 48. The distributingchamber 48 is of larger diameter than the mold, and an in;- clined wall,49 at the4 bottom of the distributingchamber serves to unite the upper end of the mold and the'cylindrical wall of the distributing-chamber. The upper portion of the Vmold is preferably of truste-conical form, the smaller diameter being at the upper end, andbelow this portion of the mold is another sirnilar section, the inclination of the Walls, how# ever, being somewhat less,rand below this second section isa third'section of similar form, with the walls of substantially the same inclination as the iirst section. The lower portion of the mold may be of uniform diam? zer or slightly conical, as shown in F' 10.

Y The upper end of themold and distributing# chamber has a sleeve 50 formed integrally therewith. This sleeve is threaded at'its upper end and iseonnected toalanged ring 51, which is secured by bolts 52 toaang'e upon the lower end of a sleeve 53. The upper part of the sleeve m lits onto the conical lower end of the sleeve 53. (See Fig. 8.) The upper end of the sleeve 53' has screwed on to it a spur-gear 54, upon the underside of which is a bearingring 55, resting upon the antifrictionballs56, that are supported upon a ring 57. The ring 57 is stationaryand rests upon the upper end of a ring-bearing 58, that is supported upon' a'bracket 59, that is bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the main frame 1 of the inachine. For the purpose of keepingthe bearing-ring 58 and the sleeve 53 from becoming heated we provide awater-chamber 60, partly in the ring-bearing 58 and partly in the wall of the bracket 59. (See Fig. 8.) A supplypipelconnects with this chamber. Openings 62 and 63 permit the-escape of the water into the chamber 64, arranged below the bracket 59, after it has passed around the sleeve 53. Through the gear 54, by means hereinafter,described,l the meld is rotated at a high speed. Means are provided, as hereinafter described, for heating the walls of the distributingehamber and the upper part of the mold and also for cooling the walls of the lower part of the mold. The mold may be of and the cross-openings A66, through which gases from the lower part of the mold may pass into the chamber 48. The plunger 64 is connected to a tubular stem 67, that extends upward' within the sleeves 50and 53 and sur rounding the tubular conductor 29. This stem is provided within thechamber 48, and just above the plunger 64, with a series of openings 68.A The stem 67 is held in a cen-' tral position in the mold by the annular pro jections 69 on the inner surface of the sleeve 53, and the split rings 70, arranged 1n an annular groove in the stern-and between said stem and the inner surface of the sleeve 5).

(See Fig. 8.) The stem 67 and the plunger 64 are caused to rotate with the mold 47 and the chamber 48, and said stem and plunger are adapted to be raised land lowered in said mold and chamber. AFor the purpose of causing the stem and plunger to rotate with tle IOC IIO

ymold we provide vertical grooves 71 in the' outer surface of the stem at a point above the vbears upon balls 84.

spur-gear 54. A ring 72 is formed upon or secured tothe gear 54, and blocks 73, secured in this ring by screws 74, engage the grooves V71 and cause the stem 67 to lrotate with the mold, while leaving it free to be vertically adjusted.

The upper part of the stem 67 'passes through a sleeve 75, that is arranged in a bearing 76, thatl is supported on the bracket 59 by the standards 77. The sleeve 75 is provided with blocks or keys 78, that extend into grooves in the bearing 76 and keep said sleeve from turning. The lower end of the sleeve is provided with a bearing-ring'79, and a-fseries of antifriction-balls 80 are arranged between said ring and a flange 81 on the stem 67. The upper end of the sleeve 75 has secured to it a flanged ring 82, and a bearing-ring 83 rests upon this ring and the end of the sleeve 75. A series of antifriction-balls 84 rest on the ring 83. A ring 85 is securedupon the upper'end of the stem 67, being held in place by the lock-ring'86. The bottom of the ring 85 (See Fig. 6.) The up- 'per portion of the sleeve 75 is screw-threaded and passes through a flanged threaded ring 87, that rests upon the bearing 76, and is held in position by the {ianged ring 88, that is secured to the bearing 76 by suitable bolts 89. A spur-gear 90 is screwed onto the upper end of the ring 87, and this gear is engaged and adapted to be rotated by a pinion 91, that is mounted on a vertical shaft 92, held in bearings 93 and 94, and provided with a.bevelpin ion 95, that engages a similar pinion 96 o n a short shaft 97, that is mounted in a bearing 98 and provided-with a hand-wheel 99.

wheel 99 the pinion 91 is rotated and turns l the gear 90 in either direction desired. This is brought nearer to the wall of the mold, and

by lowering the plunger the valve is moved farther away -from the wall of the mold. In this manner the amount of material that is allowed to passV from the distributing-chamber tothe mold can be accurately regulated.

To the .lower end of the plunger we prefer to secure a disk 102, whose edge comes quite c`lose to the wall of the mold at the lower end of the-conical portion. serves to smooth and polish the inner surface ofthe pipe that is being formed. (See Fig.

. (See Figs. 1,11., 12, and 14.) By turning the hand- The edge of this disk* 10.) Different sizes of polishing-disksV may be used for different thicknesses of pipe.

v The movement of the molten material in the formation of the pipe is illustrated in Fig. 10 of the drawings. It passes from the conductor 29 into the stem 67 of the plunger 64 and is distributed by centrifugal force through the openings 68 upon the wall of the distrib-v uting-chamber 48. As the plunger, the chamber, and the mold all rotate rapidly the molten' material is distributed and held by cen-A trifugal force upon thewalls of the chamber and mold. The heavier purer material will be brought nearest to the wall of the distributing-chamber, andas no material can reach the mold except that which passes between the edge of the disk 100 and the wall of the chamber it' follows that the lighter material and dross or slag will be held back by the disk 100 and will rise in the chamber to the top of the material contained therein, and if suliicient materi'al is in the chamber a .portion of -the lighter material will overliow through molten material may escape. A burner 104"' is arranged under the chamber 104 to keep the material therein in `a molten condition. (See Figs. .2 and 16.-) The overiiow-openings 103 and chamber 104 'not only provide for the es cape of the lighter material, slag, or dross, but prevent the material from rising inthe space between the stem of the plunger and the conductor 29 and also between the outside of this stem and the inside of the sleeve that supports the moldA and distributing-chamber. If, therefore, the material is fed into the distributing-chamber faster than. it is fed therefrom. to `the mold, it will pass out through the openings 103 into the Vchamber 104 and escape from -this chamber through the opening in the bottom wall thereof. The valve 101 regulates the distribution of the material upon the inner surface of the mold. We adjust this valve so as to admit sufficient material to form a pipe of the desired thickness. As the ma' terial enters the 'mold it moves downward,

' owing to its molten condition, under the iniluence of centrifugal force and the conical IIO shape of the mold. The material is kept in a substantially molten condition until it reaches the cylindrical part of the mold or until it passes the lower end of .the heating-coils. It then begins to solidify, and as it passes the edge of the disk 102 the inner surface of the pipe is smoothed and polished. As the material passes the disk 102 it reaches the cooled part of the mold. r1`he end of the pipe reaches and rests upon the support 105, hereinafter described.

77m p'pe8-upp01t.-The pipe as it is fed out of the mold is received on'a pipe-support, and 

